Volume 2: Single Minded Purpose

Welcome to Volume 2 of The Great Ones Online.

When we hear the term “he’s all business”, most of us simply shrug that off as an expression that describes a workaholic or hard-nosed type.

Not so with Steve Fader. Not that he isn’t “all business”—he is—with a commitment that goes far, far beyond that comprehensible by even the most diligent of entrepreneurs. Though most of us will never likely make the sacrifice that Steve has made for his massive success, the lessons about what it takes to be successful abound with almost every word he says.

Everything is about efficiency, outworking the competition, paying the price and remaining single-mindedly focused on the target.

One quote from Steve that showcases his mindset:

“I fly my own jet to New York, then I take the subway across town—it’s faster.”

Enough said.

Here is a free preview of the interview. Paid members, scroll down this page to access the full hour-long interview, video commentary by Ridgely, PDF materials, exercises and the full explanation of Edict VIII – Thou Shall Remain Single Minded.

Free preview of Volume 2 – Single Minded Purpose:

[flv image=”http://thegreatonesonline.com/blog/images/steve-fader-preview.jpg”]http://www.thegreatonesonline.com/blog/previews/fader.flv[/flv]

Free sneak peek at this volume’s associated edict (from The Great Ones book):

EDICT VIII – THOU SHALL REMAIN SINGLE MINDED

All happiness depends on courage and work. I have had many periods of wretchedness, but with energy and above all with illusions, I pulled through them all.
Honore de Balzac

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Welcome The Great Ones Online Members – This is YOUR SPECIAL SECTION!

Here is the full version of Volume 2 – Single Minded Purpose

[flv image=”http://thegreatonesonline.com/blog/images/steve-fader.jpg” width=”600″]http://www.thegreatonesonline.com/video/ridgely_m2m_vol2.flv[/flv]

Steve is a force, isn’t he? Now take a look at this video from me where I share my take on the interview.

[flv image=”http://thegreatonesonline.com/blog/images/steve-fader-ridgely.jpg” width=”600″]http://www.thegreatonesonline.com/video/M2U00447.flv[/flv]

Be sure to read these insights for Volume 2 – Single-Minded Purpose:

Volume 2 – Single-Minded Purpose

Also, do these exercises to reflect on what you’ve learned and how it applies in your life:

Volume 2 Exercises

EDICT VIII – THOU SHALL REMAIN SINGLE MINDED

All happiness depends on courage and work. I have had many periods of wretchedness, but with energy and above all with illusions, I pulled through them all.
Honore de Balzac

Explanation of Edict VIII

My father’s seeing-eye dog’s final test took place on the streets of Manhattan. With ease, Nashua guided my father through the foot traffic, across the busy cross walks and along the sidewalk for many blocks.

Sheep dogs in New Zealand frolic across the hills with boundless joy, able to manage several hundred sheep without a hitch, where a mere bark can bunch, organize and move an entire flock.

Guard dogs everywhere remain so focused that nothing escapes their keen smell, alert ears and laser sharp eyes. An intrusion is detected within seconds and rapidly dealt with.

These highly successful dogs share a common trait: the ability to remain single-minded.

Regrettably, human beings do not possess this trait; they get distracted by almost anything, at almost any time. The advent of video and other high-tech gadgetry have done nothing but shorten our attention span, with manufacturers competing to hold our interest through myriad effects and other distracters that supposedly “captivate” us.

The number of craftspeople continues to dwindle as fewer and fewer artisans can sit still for long enough to carve a wooden object, weave reeds, or mold clay. While some may argue that technological advancements have made certain professions obsolete, the price in human capital has been steep.

Today, very few have the stick-to-itiveness to stay after practice and kick a ball against a wall for an extra hour, or shoot another 100 free throws on the basketball court, or catch a baseball until the light makes it impossible to see. We seldom walk through forests to learn how to track an animal, blow a duck call a thousand times until it sounds like the real thing or spend 45 minutes mixing paint until we create the perfect shade for our canvas. We want right-now results; powders that build muscle; pills that melt fat; point-and-click templates that save us from thinking on our own.

Unfortunately, this growing inability to stay on task will never lead to greatness.

Consider this as you look back over the Code. First, we make a decision. Then we conceive a plan. We take responsibility for that plan, and begin to execute on it. We patiently yet courageously take disciplined action while cultivating passion for the achievement of our goal.

What’s left? To stay on it. Refuse to fall off task. Re-focus again and again. Push away those who pull on you. Shut them out. Build a mental wall of protection against noise, gossip, chatter and junk. Stop repeatedly checking your email. Turn your cell phone or your PDA off. Make the decision to stick with your plan and don’t deviate.

Studies demonstrate that the person who jumps from one project to another takes approximately three times as long to finish as the person who single-mindedly executes one project at a time until completion. To reach targets and accomplish big goals, you can’t afford to waste that much time.

One of the Old Man’s greatest lessons to the Boy begins early on where he counsels him to not sleep walk, to think big, and to stop wasting energy on the small fry. Throughout the story, to the culminating moment of their last day together, the Old Man repeats the message in myriad forms, though his final act with the great fish proves his philosophy far more than words.

Focus on the prize. Go for it, and keep going for it with single-minded determination until you get it.

Shoot for the bull’s eye—and keep shooting.

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